For some, college football isn’t a huge deal. They might put their city or state’s team on every now and then, getting upset when they lose and excited when they win. But once that game wraps up, that’s enough football for the night.
Others might tune in to a few of the bigger Power Five matchups, rivalry games and games involving their conference foes. They enjoy watching football, but their enjoyment isn’t all-consuming.
Then, there’s me, and if you’re reading this article, probably you. For us, our passion for the sport borders on obsessive, as we plan our entire Saturdays around it week after week, celebrating when it’s back and missing it when it’s gone.
Unless you live under a rock, you know where that dial sits at the moment, with the return of college football being less than 24 hours away. And with that comes the return of our beloved Weekly Pick ‘Em series.
In this series, created by recent graduate and Reveille alumnus Jared Brodtmann, I will be handpicking five college football games and predicting whether the favorite will cover the spread. Plans regarding this series are not concrete but expect collaborations after this week whenever there are more games to cover.
I finished last season with a 21-18-1 record, which I would consider to be pretty solid. While I’m confident I can improve on that record, if last season was any indication, confidence doesn’t always lead to positive results.
With that being said, let’s get started.
Henry’s Picks:
Nebraska vs. Northwestern, 11:30 a.m. CT, FOX
The Pick: Nebraska –12
There’s no better place to start than with “The Battle of the 3-9s” in Ireland. Last season wasn’t fun for either fanbase, especially for Nebraska, who finished the season with a positive point margin despite only winning three contests.
In their last matchup, Nebraska routed Northwestern 56-7. While Nebraska doesn’t return much from last season’s offense, there’s plenty of reason to expect another blowout here.
For one, the Cornhuskers’ transfer portal class ranked No. 7 according to 247 sports, which features a plethora of quality players expected to make an immediate impact with the program.
In his first season as a starter at quarterback, Texas transfer Casey Thompson surpassed 2000 yards through the air, coupled with 28 total touchdowns and just nine interceptions. Not a bad replacement for the prominent Adrian Martinez.
They effectively refilled their receiving room there as well, adding fellow Longhorn Marcus Washington and LSU’s Trey Palmer on top of keeping their third highest contributor in Omar Manning. Each player contributed 250-400 yards last season and is expected to produce more in a heightened role.
The Cornhuskers also return their starting running back in Rahmir Johnson, who contributed nearly 700 total yards last season, most of which came in the team’s last six games.
With most of the defense returning, the offense possessing a ton of potential and Northwestern being Northwestern, I don’t expect this one to be close. But if the Cornhuskers do find a way to lose this one, say goodbye to Scott Frost’s head coach.
Score: Nebraska 55-13 Northwestern
Wyoming vs. Illinois, 3 p.m. CT, BTN
The Pick: Illinois –14
This is a case of solid team, but bad matchup for Wyoming.
While the Cowboys boasted a top-15 pass defense in terms of yards per game last season, they also had a run defense that ranked near the bottom in the country in the same regard. This isn’t the opponent you want that problem against.
Last season, Illinois running back Chase Brown averaged nearly six yards per carry on his way to a thousand-yard rushing campaign. Speed back Josh McCray added over 500 yards to that rushing total while only being a freshman.
Their run-first play style has already proven to be effective, with impressive wins against Penn State and Minnesota last year being a testament to that. With an offseason full of development under their belts, I don’t expect Wyoming to be able to handle it.
Couple that with an unsure situation at quarterback, and this could be a rough one for the Cowboys. It could be fun to watch for a quarter or two though, if you like big runs.
Score: Illinois 31 Wyoming 13
Charlotte vs. Florida Atlantic, 6 p.m. CT, CBSSN
The Pick: Florida Atlantic -7
If you’ve seen the Week 0 schedule, you’ll know that’s pretty much the end for Power Five action. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any more interesting games to watch.
The conference foes’ last meeting was not a fun one, as Florida Atlantic routed the 49ers by 29 points in a matchup that was expected to be as close as this one, according to the spread. While I feel like this one will be closer than the last, I still think the Owls have a considerable edge.
Florida Atlantic features former Miami quarterback N’Kosi Perry at the helm, who’s been able to build more chemistry with his offense over the offseason after a promising debut campaign last season. I expect him to greatly improve, and he has a great opponent to kick off the season against.
Charlotte’s pass defense was horrendous last season, and it hasn’t added much to eliminate that flaw. That’s going to be its Achilles’ heel against the Owls, as they try desperately to keep up.
Still, it should be an interesting one, with each team looking to bounce back after falling short of bowl eligibility last season.
Score: Florida Atlantic 44 Charlotte 34
North Texas vs. UTEP, 8 p.m. CT, ESPN3
The Pick: UTEP +1.5
After a rough first two seasons for the Miners under Dana Dimel, where they went 2-22, the team improved in 2020 before surprising everyone the next season. They finished their 2021 campaign with a winning record and bowl appearance, where they further impressed with a near-upset against Fresno State.
With most of last year’s cast returning for another round, I expect them to improve. They could even compete against their division’s heavyweights in UTSA and UAB if all goes well.
Couple last season’s success with the fact that North Texas has more to replace from last season, and I expect the Mean Green to fall short of defeating UTEP for the first time since 2015.
Score: UTEP 27 North Texas 24
Vanderbilt vs. Hawai’i, 9:30 p.m. CT, CBSSN
The Pick: Hawai’i +9.5
When I said Power 5 action was “pretty much” over, this is what I meant. Vanderbilt is still a part of the SEC, but should they be?
Anyways, the Rainbow Warriors are going through a transitional period, with both their head coach, star quarterback and a large array of players leaving the program. But when was the last time Vanderbilt beat a team by more than nine points?
The answer is 2019.
While Vanderbilt has some interesting returners, particularly at running back and safety, and I believe Clark Lea could have success with the program in the future, it still has an incredibly steep hill to climb.
The Commodores did defeat their last Mountain West opponent in Colorado State in 2021, but that win featured a tight finish and a 14-point comeback against a team that proved to be woefully bad at football as the season progressed.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Vanderbilt pulls out a victory here, but I don’t expect it to be by more than two scores.
